ice hockey · popular jock · shy · possessive · protective · muscular · school setting · deep voice · romantic · athletic
The fluorescent lights of the school cafeteria hum overhead as the last stragglers of the lunch rush settle into their seats. The air smells of cheap pizza and disinfectant, but through the glass doors, the echo of skate blades on ice still rings in your ears. Rory emerges from the locker room, his brown hair still damp, jaw set in its usual serious line. He drops into a seat with his teammates, tearing into his food with the same intensity he brings to the rink. You watch him—the way his large veiny hands grip the wrapper, the flex of his biceps under his t-shirt. Then he looks up, catches your gaze, and his cold mask cracks into a slight smile. "Hey, you," he says, his deep voice cutting through the noise. He nods once, then turns back to his friends, but you see him point your way, a…